The Gentlemen Who Keeps His Promise
by RainbowSheltie
Summary: [Swan Lake] This is the story of a prince who is a true, yet noble gentleman. A man who would keep his promises until the bitter end. For that's what happens, when you make a deal and it doesn't turn out the way you expected.


**Title**: The Gentlemen Who Keeps His Promise

**Fandoms**: Swan Lake & Related Fandoms

**Relationships**: Siegfried/Odette, Siegfried/Odile

**Characters**: Siegfriend, Odette, Odile

**Tags**: Truth, Disguise, Royalty, Regret, Marriage Proposal, Alternate Universe

**Summary**: This is the story of a prince who is a true, yet noble gentleman. A man who would keep his promises until the bitter end. For that's what happens, when you make a deal and it doesn't turn out the way you expected.

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**Notes**: Based off the ending presented by Hübbe and Schandorff's 2015 and 2016 Royal Danish Ballet production.

**BETA**: ShadowFire4359

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This is the story of a prince who is a true, yet noble gentleman. A man who would keep his promises until the bitter end. For that's what happens, when you make a deal and it doesn't turn out the way you expected.

You gave your word, and as a prince, you cannot go back. What would that look like to your subjects, your peers, or your family?

No. A man like this cannot simply choose what promises he wishes to keep or throw away.

Now imagine, if you will, the story of Swan Lake. It's a classic tale, and many know of the happy ending between the prince and the beautiful swan princess, Odette.

Let's go back a little in the story. To when the prince was hosting a grand ball, and announced that he had found a woman to be his bride. He had asked Odette and, the two being in love, she agreed wholeheartedly.

Yet Odile, the daughter of the evil sorcerer, had taken her place at behest of her father, the evil sorcerer who had placed the curse of the swan on Odette.

Odile entered the ball, disguised as Odette and fooled the prince for a while. He asked her to marry him, and she agreed, of course. That was her purpose here. However, the prince was not fooled for long. He saw through Odile before the end and went off to rescue the woman he loved.

From there, it is a tale of defeated wizards, broken curses and a happy ending between the two love birds—pardon the pun.

But really, is that what truly happened?

The noble, handsome prince who would keep his word until the bitter end, where had he gone? Sure, he had been tricked into asking Odile to marry him, but would that matter? Are we going to try and find loopholes, now that it has not turned out the way you planned?

I cannot see this. The prince asked a question, and Odile answered in honest. Did he stop to make sure it was really "Odette"?

In this case, he did not. And here is the damning exchange:

The prince looked at Odile, disguised as Odette.

"Oh my lovely swan, will you marry me?"

Odile looked at him curiously.

"I am no swan," she said.

"Oh, of course not! You are a beautiful woman, whom I have since fallen in love with." He proclaimed happily. "Will you marry me?"

"Oh? But we just met? Are you sure I am the one?" Odile questioned softly, so not as to attracted as much attention as the prince.

"It does not matter how long we have known each other for, I have chosen you!" The prince was ecstatic, overjoyed at the prospect of finding a woman who would gladly spend the rest of her life with him.

"Well, you do not know my name." Odile said. "Would you ask me once more, but say my name?"

The prince got on one knee and, reaching to grasp one of Odile's hands in his, asked her once more.

"Please, please marry me, Odette!"

Odile simply laughed.

"Oh you silly prince, that is not my name." She replied coyly. "It is Odile. You must be mistaken! Please ask once more."

Now here comes in the prince's foolish nature. For he, having rushed into this whole affair, accepted this.

"Oh, how could I have been so mistaken? Of course you are Odile! Who could you be otherwise?"

Odile laughed softly.

"Well, my prince? Before the night comes to an end."

So the prince asked once more.

"Odile, please do the honor of becoming my bride!"

She was pleased with herself, yet excited at the same time.

"Yes! Yes, I will marry you!" Odile proclaimed. "Yes, a thousand times!"

She jumped in his arms and the prince embraced her, and they kissed. That's when the prince knew. For he had kissed Odette once upon a time, and this was not her. So the prince called foul, and Odile transformed into her true self.

A beautiful woman still, just as beautiful as Odette, some might say, except she had raven black hair, and bright green eyes. Odette had light blonde with pale blue eyes.

"You… you tricked me!" The prince yelled, affronted.

"I gave you many chances to see through this disguise, have I not? I asked you time and again, yet you did not notice. So how, then, can you say you truly love "Odette"? Surely true love cannot be tricked so easily."

And that is the story. For the company at the ball saw the exchange, and however justified some may have felt in the prince's actions had he broken this promise of marriage, the truth could not be denied.

The prince asked about Odette, and Odile did promise she was safe. In fact, she would be set free upon dawn, to continue her life as the swan princess. No danger would come to anyone that night.

Now we see the dangers of a foolish, and hasty prince who is also a noble gentleman at heart. He hung his head and cried, and the patrons of the ball all looked away.

The happy ending between him and Odette is a fantasy, a dream the prince now looks back upon in yearning, whenever he sees the beautiful colors of dawn drawing away the night sky.

Was this a happy ending? Seeing the love of his life fly away as quickly as she had appeared into his life? Having to marry another?

Perhaps. If the prince can mistake the love of his life for another, could it be that the beautiful Odile may one day catch his heart? For she, too, held a secret. She was in love with the prince.

And what if I told you that one day, she will have won his heart? This raven-haired princess, who is also, as it came to pass, honest and caring by nature.

For once out of the hands of the wicked sorcerer, her father, who stopped caring about his daughter the moment he knew his Odette would forever be under his control, left all well enough alone.

Odile was set free, now able to follow her own path in life.

The true ending is simply this: The prince asked for Odile's hand in marriage and she said yes.


End file.
